Alm
Alm is an Einherjar from Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria. He is a Sorcerer and can be found in the Serdberg Mountain Ruins. Background The second prince of the Principality of Paltierre, which once ruled in the northeastern region of the continent, and brother of future King Cyphel. Alm was the son of Dragon Scale Sigmund, one of the Seventeen Commanders of Camille. His eyes were like his father's - similar to those of a dragon. He was renowned for his vast knowledge of magic. When his brother and father left for the mainland in 581 C.C. for the Year-Long War, he stayed to keep the country in order. During the Mist of Niflheim that began in 599 C.C., he commanded a regiment and fought off the undead invading the country. In one of the ensuing battles, he was attacked and killed by the Dragon King of the Underworld, thus signing the end of Paltierre, as he was its last remaining heir. Alm always felt second best. He did not think very highly of his brother Cyphel or of his wife, Phyress. When Chrystie was born, his dislike for her parents also transferred to her, especially after she abandoned her family to follow Seluvia. He knew that his father and brother were more popular than him and felt very disappointed that they got the honours of battle instead of him during the Year-Long War, because he felt that he was more capable than them. He thus saw the Mist of Niflheim as his best chance to prove his valour. He banished as many undead as he could, sometimes even going so far as to summon them himself in order to improve his score. He thus earned himself a place as an Einherjar and feels very proud of this. However, he regrets that he could not prevent the downfall of his country. He is notably very bitter about the fact that this allowed Dipan to gain power and wonders what his efforts were for. Battle Alm is a very good Sorcerer, due to his focus on support spells. He notably joins with Sap Power already learned and proceeds to obtain Might Reinforce relatively quickly. He is also one of the few mages who get Chaotic Rune, being the first one to learn it. His Great Magic is bad, but it is a minor drawback, considering his other qualities. He will join your party with a Ruby Mace and a Silver Cloak. His initial skill is Overload. Attack Spells *'Lightning Bolt' - Initial *'Frigid Damsel' - Level 8 *'Poison Blow' - Level 16 *'Fire Storm' - Level 28 *'Dark Saviour' - Level 43 *'Prismatic Missile' - Level 45 Menu Magic *'Sap Power' - Initial *'Thunder Storm' - Level 10 *'Sap Guard' - Level 12 *'Explosion' - Level 18 *'Guard Reinforce' - Level 20 *'Spell Reinforce' - Level 22 *'Might Reinforce' - Level 25 *'Normalize' - Level 30 *'Heal' - Level 32 *'Earth Grave' - Level 34 *'Dampen Magic' - Level 36 *'Chaotic Rune' - Level 38 *'Glacial Blizzard' - Level 41 *'Spiritual Thorn' - Level 48 *'Reflect Sorcery' - Level 51 *'Astral Maze' - Level 55 Does not learn: Invoke Feather Elemental Tolerance Soul Crush Alm is a Lightning Sorcerer. As such, he uses the Great Magic Gravity Blessing. He will say "You'll pay with your life!" before using it. Relic Location A staff in the Serdberg Mountain Ruins, found on the left of the first outdoor screen at the top of the building. Alm has a 50% chance of appearing. Woltar is the other possible option. Alm will say "So you want my help, eh?" when you materialize him. Release Information When you are about to release Alm, he will ask "So I'm strong enough to walk alone?" If you then choose to release him, he will say "You think I've outlived my usefulness? You'll regret this later." Upon being released, Alm will appear at the entrance of Chateau Obsession. He will give you 50,000 OTH if you go see him before the end of Chapter 4. Conversation Alm may have a short exchange with one of three characters at the beginnning of a battle, if they happen to be on the same team: his sister-in-law Phyress, her daughter Chrystie and her adopted son Seluvia. *'Phyress' :Alm: It's been a while, sister-in-law. How is my older brother doing? :Phyress: Ah, well...It seems that he was not one of the chosen. :Alm: Is that right? Well, he was always just a 'nice guy'. He was never good for much. *'Chrystie' :Chrystie: Ah, uncle Alm! I'm sorry I didn't keep in touch! :Alm: Chrystie, you have inherited your mother's vulgarity. Tell me, did you ever find the man for whom you deserted your kingdom? *'Seluvia' :Alm: Is that you? I thought it was some stray dog. I must be cursed if I have to see your ugly mug even when I'm dead. :Seluvia: How sad it must be to be you. To make enemies of everyone you meet, dying without ever having been loved. And in death too, you are utterly alone. Etymology Alm may be derived from various sources. One possibility is the Latin word almus, which means "nourishing" or "kind", in which case, the meaning would be ironic http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/almus#Latin. Another possibility would be alma, the Spanish word for "soul" http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/alma, in which case it could refer to the fact that he has only realized his full potential in death. A third possibility would be "alms", the act of charity http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alms, perhaps referring to the fact that his being chosen as an Einherjar was Silmeria showing charity or pity for his efforts. Trivia *Alm has the same voice actor as Woltar, Ehrde, Adonis, Falx and Aegis. Thus, they share most of their battle quotes. *Alm's starting skill, Overload (magic is more powerful, but can also hit allies), may be symbolic of the fact that his efforts to earn glory in battle ended up doing more harm than good, since they led to Paltierre's downfall. *Alm's elemental tolerance is identical to Woltar, the other Einherjar obtainable from the same relic. Their elemental affiliations as Sorcerers, however, are diametrically opposite (Lightning and Earth). *Alm mentions having been born with a deformity. As he has no visible physical defects, this could be a reference to his dragon eyes, although it is surprising that he would view them as a handicap, since his own father had them and was both a famous warrior and a popular ruler. *Alm expresses a strong dislike for Dipan as a whole. It is unclear whether this is a cause or a consequence of his dislike for Phyress. The cause of the latter is also unclear, but it is likely that he partly blames her for his country's downfall: she was a foreigner who caused strife for the succession by adopting Seluvia, ultimately leading to the loss of the only direct heiress, Chrystie. Gallery Image:Alm_victory.JPG|Alm's victory pose Category:Character Category:Einherjar Category:Male Category:Sorcerer